Animal welfare licences

Primate licence

From 6 April 2026, it is against the law to keep a primate without a licence. If you do not follow the licence rules, you could get an unlimited fine, lose your primate, or go to prison for up to 6 months.

If you own a primate, or want to own one, you must get a licence from your local council. This is the law under The Animal Welfare (Primate Licences) (England) Regulations 2024.

These rules make sure that only people who can give primates a high standard of care are allowed to keep them.

You must apply for a primate licence by 6 April 2026. This includes any kind of monkey, ape, lemur, loris or tarsier.

Your primates and where you keep them will be checked to make sure you follow the rules.

You must meet all the licence conditions for primate keepers (Schedule 1).

A licence lasts for 3 years.

Exemptions

These rules do not apply if the place is already licensed under the Zoo Licensing Act or listed under section 2C of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act.

If your primate is listed in the Dangerous Wild Animals Act, you must get both a dangerous wild animal licence and a primate licence.

Apply for a primate licence

You must send the following paperwork with your application. Your policies and procedures should explain your business and show how you meet all the licence rules.

You must send:

a plan of your premises
a written emergency plan that explains:
- what you will do if your premises become unsafe or cannot be lived in
- how you will care for the primates during and after an emergency
- an up to date list of emergency contacts, including the fire service and police
a written procedure for special situations, including:
- how you will care for a primate that needs to be kept alone for a short time
- what you will do if a primate dies or escapes
- how the primate will be cared for if your licence is taken away or if you die
a written hygiene protocol that covers:
- cleaning and disinfecting
- stopping the spread of disease
- a written plan for transporting primates safely
the diet plan for each primate. This must be written using advice from a vet or primate diet expert.

Before you apply, please read:

How much it costs

The licence costs £408. This includes a £273 application fee and a £135 grant fee. You must also pay for a vet visit for new licences and renewals. This cost will be added to the grant fee.

Inspection

After you pay the application fee and send all your documents, we will contact you to arrange an inspection. A licensing officer and an independent vet will visit your premises.

You must keep a register of every primate you keep. This must be shown during an inspection. The register must include:

its name
its sex
its microchip number
its date of birth, or an approximate date if you do not know
its species
its colour and markings
the name and contact details of the previous keeper, if there was one
the date and cause of its death, if it has died
if the primate moves to a new home, the name and contact details of the new keeper, and the address it has moved to

After the inspection, we will contact you to tell you the outcome of your application.

Fill in our online application form to apply.